The first episode of The Vampire Diaries‘ new season is entitled “22,190 Days” and many TVD fans are clinging to the idea that the significance of this number lies in Damon Salvatore’s promise to wait for Elena for the next 60 years. The curse that cast Elena in her coma-like state may have been an ingenious way to write Nina Dobrev off of The Vampire Diaries, but it leaves Elena’s friends with the task of moving on, and that’s just what the first episode of The Vampire Diaries will deal with, at least until the heretics reign more misery upon the folks of Mystic Falls.

The heretics won’t be blindly attacking everyone when The Vampire Diaries returns, but will focus their energies on Mystic Falls’ favorite sons: Damon and Stefan Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley.

“Damon and Stefan are dealing with the fact that their mother, who essentially abandoned them, has shown up in their hometown” with “a group of people that she calls her new family and that she calls her children,” The Vampire Diaries executive producer Julie Plec said. “It’s emotionally incredibly frustrating.”

Ms. Plec adds that the brothers will have to explore their bond as brothers, as well as finding themselves in the position of deciding how they should deal with their mother.

“It teaches them a lot about their relationship with each other, their relationship they always wanted with her, and then it puts them in a situation of, are they going to make amends with this woman or are they going to take her down?”

Of course, there will be much more going on with The Vampire Diaries, such as Aleric Saltzman adjusting to life after the brutal loss of his bride and not faring very well.

“He’s not great in that way that he’s making some clearly questionable decisions. He’s dabbling in the occult in ways that maybe he shouldn’t be,” The Vampire Diaries exec said.

Julie Plec added, while the dynamic between Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Damon had matured in the previous season of The Vampire Diaries, the situation with Elena will have a negative impact on that.

“They really, really found a deep friendship with each other, which is surprising, considering how little respect they had for each other leading up to that situation,” Julie said, before adding, “they still have that, but there’s this underlying resentment on both sides.”

The season premiere of The Vampire Diaries will premiere on Thursday, October 8 on the CW network.